Journal

ELEANOR PENDLETON KNOWS BEAUTY. She's been in the industry for over ten years. However, in August of 2013, the ex-magazine beauty editor took the plunge, decided to pursue her dreams and thus, Gritty Pretty was born! Now, in 2017, the ever-innovative Pendleton and her Gritty Pretty team are taking an exciting next step forward with the launch of a beautifully curated e-commerce platform. Needless to say, we're so incredibly excited - not only to see all your must-have beauty items in one place - but to announce Lumira will be available online at GrittyPretty.com! Run, don't walk!

Can you give us a snapshot of a day in the life of Eleanor Pendleton?No two days are ever the same! Most days start answering any urgent emails that have come in overnight. Then, I can either be on set directing a beauty shoot, modeling in a beauty shoot, interviewing a celebrity, model or beauty expert, writing a story, attending a media launch or having meetings with my team. I often travel as well but the beauty of working in digital means I can work remotely anywhere in the world.

What prompted you to start your own business?After 7 years in magazine publishing as a beauty editor, I decided to embark on a freelance writing career. Simultaneously, I relaunched GrittyPretty.com as it had been sitting dormant whilst I was the beauty editor at InStyle. Within a few months, Gritty Pretty started receiving revenue. It was shortly after that I decided if I was going to focus on Gritty Pretty and build it into being a leading beauty publisher and business, I had to focus all of my attention on it. I freelanced when I could – to put finance into the redesign of the website – and spent six months building the online magazine. It’s been two years since we launched Gritty Pretty Magazine – Australia’s first and only digital publication dedicated solely to beauty – and it’s been such an incredible ride (which is only just beginning). We have developed such a loyal audience of beauty-loving readers – everything we test, review and publish is for them. It always comes back to our readers.

In your own words, what does Gritty Pretty stand for in the world of beauty? Who is the Gritty Pretty woman?Gritty Pretty is about beauty – minus the bullshit. It’s for the woman who is confident and assertive in her own style but wants to know more about beauty and what is good and what will work for her.Gritty Pretty simplifies and demystifies all the confusion when it comes to beauty. What really is a peptide? Do you really need to use a serum? Will this foundation really make your skin look amazing? Our aim is to democratize beauty. We aim to answer all of those questions and do so in an elegant, polished and refined way. Our readers trust us and when they come to us, we want it to be a beautiful experience for them. The launch of our e-store sees our readers enjoy a Gritty Pretty end-to-end online experience.

How does scent play out in the Gritty Pretty office? Is scent something that you see as being important to the Gritty Pretty brand?One of the first things I do when walking into the office is light a candle. It sets us up for the day. We often burn various candles to layer scent within the office. Being a team of beauty editors and creatives, we are obsessed with fragrance! You can’t underestimate the power a woman feels when she puts on her favourite scent and walks out the door feeling confident and ready to face the world. Scent, and its connection with olfactory, is a very powerful sense.

Image shot by Bianchi Photography for Gritty Pretty

What made you want to start an e-commerce platform? What can we expect to see from the Gritty Pretty online store?Our readers are the most important thing to us. We recognized that they were shopping from our posts and articles. We saw a gap in the market to create a highly curated space where they could shop the best of the best. You know that feeling you often have when walking into a department store and being confronted by hundreds of beauty products sitting on the shelves? We experienced that same bewilderment when visiting various e-tailers so we decided to create an e-store that was tightly edited.

How have you gone about selecting those brands that will available for purchase online at Gritty Pretty?We have tested every product that is for sale on GrittyPretty.com. As beauty editors, we have the good fortune of interviewing the industry’s leading experts. We selected products that the top experts simply can’t live without. We also chose products we use daily – a lot of them I had previously awarded Best Beauty Buys Award whilst I was at InStyle magazine. The result is a discerning curation of beauty products, tips and inspiration deemed essential by the industry experts who know best.

We’re so excited to be available through the Gritty Pretty online store! If you could select one scent from Lumira – which would be your number one, and why does it resonate with you?Straight back at you! We’re so excited to call Lumira one of our first house brands. Lumira represents attainable luxury through candles – and now perfume oils – so it was the perfect brand to be part of the Gritty Pretty stable. We’re big fans of Arabian Oud! I have one at home and in the office, which I burn regularly. It’s like a big warm hug.

If you could give sage advice to someone looking to start their own business, what would be your three top tips?1. Have a business plan (however basic it may be) and know your audience.2. Have a point of difference and always stay true to your brand (even if that means turning down tempting opportunities).3. Good things come to those who wait work their ass off!